Search Olympic Activities

Whistler Olympic Venues and Legacies

The 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games have come and gone but the spirit and energy live on in Whistler. Exciting legacies like Whistler Olympic Park and Sliding Centre, as well as monuments like the Olympic Rings or Inukshuk are scattered through Whistler for tours, photos and a chance to experience the passion.

Whistler Olympic Plaza is one of our most popular, year round outdoor spaces in Whistler Village. Featuring a picnic-perfect lawn, playground, a winter skating rink and wonderful outdoor performance areas and surrounded by cafés, restaurants and local shops, it’s a must do for everyone.

Outdoor Winter Fun

From Family Après to Skate with Santa and New Year’s Celebrations, Whistler Olympic Plaza hosts a number of family friendly, outdoor events over winter. Dress warmly and come out to play!

Outdoor Skating Rink

The Resort Municipality of Whistler transforms Whistler Olympic Plaza’s Great Lawn and Pavilion into skating rinks for the winter season. In the heart of Whistler Village, these outdoor rinks offer tremendous views of the surrounding mountains and the twinkling festive lights of the Village.

For more information on ice-skating during the winter months, visit the ice-skating page.

Outdoor Play Area

Grab a sled and slide down the snow pile, see the Olympic rings, ice skate on the outdoor rink, build a snowman, snap a photo by the Olympic cauldron then warm up by the outdoor fireplace.

Summer Concert Series

While the park and wonderful lawn make the perfect place to enjoy the sun on a lazy afternoon, in the summer Whistler Olympic Plaza is best know for it’s jam-packed schedule of free outdoor concerts and performances. Pack a picnic, bring a sweater, and enjoy Whistler’s long summer nights with live music under the stars.

Olympic Memorabilia

All around you will find Olympic and Paralympic memorabilia. Snap a photo by the Olympic Cauldron or Rings, visit the installations celebrating athletes and medal winners or take a moment at the memroial for Georgian Luge Nodar Kumaritashvili.

Located in the beautiful Fitzsimmons valley on the southeast slope of Blackcomb Mountain, the Sliding Centre was the site of the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Today the Sliding Centre offers visitors and locals alike the opportunity to experience the thrill of rushing down this world class track. In the winter you can feel the adreneline of skeleton or bobsliegh first hand, and in the summer bobsleighs are put on wheels to simulate that exact same excitement. Or simply learn a little more about sliding sports with a self-guided tour. Whatever your preference, check out Olympic Experiences to find the one that’s right for you.

Located 18 km south of Whistler in the stunning Callaghan Valley, Whistler Olympic Park is the first Olympic Nordic venue to include all three traditional Nordic sport stadiums in one site: cross-country, ski jumping and biathlon.

In the winter, Whistler Olympic Park is the perfect place for you to spend a day Skate or Classic skiing or exploring on snowshoes. If you’re looking for a truly Olympic experience, try Biathlon while there.

In the summer Whistler Olympic Park offers self guided interpretive tours and great family hiking and biking trails.

In addition to the larger Olympic Venues, there are many smaller venues and legacies. You can spend a day on a self-guided tour, or simply enjoy them as you stumble across them on other adventures.

Lost Lake Passivhaus (formerly Austria Passive House)

A Passive House is a building in which a comfortable interior climate can be maintained without active heating or cooling systems. It requires little to no energy for heating and cooling due to construction using a combination of super insulation, thick walls and windows, solar retention, ground heat, and other technology.

Lost Lake Passivhaus is located at the main entrance to Lost Lake Park, between the upper and lower Villages and a short walk from the Village Stroll During the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, the building was home to the Austrian Olympic Committee and Austrian Public Broadcasting but now features public seating areas, indoor washrooms, bike rentals and lessons, food and beverage services, and great views of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.

Dave Murray Downhill

Situated on Whistler Mountain, the Dave Murray Downhill is where the men’s downhill, slalom, giant slalom, super combined and superG races of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games occurred. Dropping more than one vertical kilometre in just over 3.1 kilometres, it is the second longest downhill course in the world, and it’s yours to ski (in the winter). The course was named after Dave Murray, one of the original "Crazy Canucks" and one of the most popular ski personalities Canada has ever produced.

Olympic Legacy Display

Situated on Whistler Mountain in the Roundhouse Lodge, the Olympic Legacy Display showcases the achievements of local athletes and Games-time highlights. Browse through athlete stories, photos and memorabilia or create your own memorabilia with a wood carved replica or the medals podium and an Inukshuk for perfect photo opportunities. When you’re done, refuel with the food and beverages available and take in the increible views from the observation decks.

Whistler Museum

Located in the heart of the Whistler Village, the museum’s newest exhibit, "Hosting the World", tells Whistler’s story of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Features include:

Featuring an interactive area where you can hold the Olympic torch, try on an Olympic ski bib and wear the volunteer "smurf" uniform, the exhibit is hands-on and lots of fun.

Displaying the uniforms and gear of 13 of the Olympic and Paralympic athletes from the Sea-to-Sky corridor, including the snowboard cross uniform from Olympic gold medalist Maëlle Ricker and the racing helmet of Paralympic gold medalist Lindsay Debou.

Other highlights include the Paralympic Cauldron and torch bearing uniform, the Canadian team podium uniform and a gate flag from the Olympic alpine ski races.

A special exhibit, Whistler’s Olympic Journey, celebrates the community’s journey to the 2010 Winter Games, chronicling the story and artifacts of Whistler’s passionate visionaries that dreamed big and worked together as a community to make it all happen. From pioneers, fishing resort developers, artists, ski bums and visitors, everyone had a hand in creating Whistler.